Diamond is the hardest substance known to man. It is optically transparent, and electrically nonconductive. Therefore, diamond is a highly desirable and widely used material with both decorative and broad technological applications in a variety of industries. Industrial diamond uses include cutting, drilling, polishing of hard-to-work-with objects as well as geological drilling and cutting of ceramics, tungsten, carbides, etc. Other industrial uses are in the field of electronics, where diamond wafers utilize diamond's unique combination of electrical and thermal properties. It has been determined by crystallographers that the unique properties of diamond are because of the particular arrangement of carbon atoms within the diamond crystal. Such crystallographic structure is known as a "Cubic Face Centered", and is designated "A-4". Compared to other substances, diamond is relatively expensive.
On the other hand, graphite crystallizes in totally different systems known by crystallographers as either Hexagonal (designated "A-9"), or Rhomboedric (designated "D5,3") Conversely to diamond, graphite is quite soft, is optically opaque, and conducts electricity. Graphite is produced in millions of tons annually in a variety of shapes from bars to fibers to powders. Diamond, conversely, is produced with great difficulty, and in a minuscule amount in comparison to graphite.
Historically, the first attempts to manufacture diamond for industrial use centered on reproducing natural geological conditions, which are believed to be the application of extreme pressures of layers of rocks and temperatures to graphite existing deep in the earth's crust. It is still believed that these conditions transformed graphite to diamond in the earth over geological periods of time. In any event, all existing industrial methods and processes of diamond making are technically complex, require highly sophisticated equipment, are cost intensive, and require a high level of academic knowledge.
Many currently used industrial diamond making processes utilize the principle of high energy delivered either by mechanical or chemical means. The majority of such methods are hazardous since they are conducted within massive, superstrong enclosures often placed in mine shafts. Typical high energy methods of diamond making are shown in Hall U.S. Pat. No. 2,947,608 and Yazu et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,817.
There are a few other methods of diamond making such as the crystal growth from solution method disclosed in Custers et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,124,422 and Satoh et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,881. An electrical discharge method of diamond making is shown in Inove U.S. Pat. No. 3,207,582. The epitaxial crystal growth diamond making method is illustrated in a number of U.S. patents including Fedoseen et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,441 and Kamo U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,542.
The laser beam application in diamond making can be seen in Ohsawa U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,515, and the low-pressure, partial vacuum, vapor phase synthesis and plasma deposition diamond making method is shown in Angus U.S. Pat. No. 3,607,061 and in Ota et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,245.
The chemical methods of diamond making are typically shown in Eversole U.S. Pat. No. 3,030,187 and St. Pierre U.S. Pat. No. 4,220,455.
The explosive diamond making method can be seen in DeCarli U.S. Pat. No. 3,238,019 and Shulzhenko et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,676,068.
A diamond making process in Which electrical current heating is applied is illustrated in Brayman U.S. Pat. No. 3,328,841 and Inuzuka et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,436,182.
The electrical discharge diamond making process is shown in Inoue U.S. Pat. No. 3,207,582.
The mixed chemical-pressure-temperature diamond making process may be seen in a number of U.S. Patents, including Horton U.S. Pat. No. 3,597,158 and Musao Wakatsuki et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,436,183.
None of the prior art processes for making diamond provide a process which offers low capital investment and simplicity, is inexpensive and is capable of transforming graphite to diamond in a variety of shapes and forms such as powders, solid bars, fibers, ribbons, etc. The principal object, therefore, of this invention is to provide a new method of industrial diamond making that will overcome the deficiencies of the prior art processes.